


Managing Wonderland

by Nocturnal_Elle



Category: Alice (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-01-07 18:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nocturnal_Elle/pseuds/Nocturnal_Elle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU; "Wonderland" is a swanky bar where David Hatter is a bartender and Alice Hamilton has just landed the job of manager. Oh yeah, because she's dating the owner's son, Jack. Written because I wanted these two to have a lot more chances to flirt. (Last two chapters are a re-telling of the same story from Hatter's POV.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm Alice

Alice Hamilton was sure her luck had finally changed. Her newest boyfriend, Jack, showed great promise. He was handsome, kind, intelligent and gainfully employed. As far as Alice could tell, he was better than all five of her previous boyfriends combined. Jack was definitely a guy worth holding on to, and she planned to do just that.

Whereas some women looked for excitement in their romantic pursuits, Alice looked for stability. Her mother would ask of her suitors "Is he cute? Does he bring you flowers? Does he make you laugh?" For Alice, it boiled down to something else: could she trust him?

Alice's mother chided her for having an impossibly long list of criteria when it came to boyfriends. So far, she hadn't found anything wrong with Jack.

They met at a weekend business conference and hit it off immediately. At the end of the second day, he asked her out for dinner and drinks, and they had been on a few dates since then. When he found out that Alice was looking for a job, Jack mentioned that his mother had a manager's position open at her bar, Wonderland. He arranged for Alice to be interviewed, and she got the job.

Alice's main goal when she registered for the conference was networking; after all, a business degree didn't exactly guarantee employment. Jack was an additional perk, but working for his mother was daunting. Alice had known the instant she shook Kathy's hand that this would be a difficult woman to please.

Now it was her first day on the job, and Alice was nervous about meeting her new staff. So far, the bouncer was creepy – Brooklyn accent, and nicknamed "Mad March." The hostess, Duchess (could that really be her name?) was faux-pleasant and gorgeous. Apparently she had intended to apply for what was now Alice's job. There was also an older man – an accountant who had worked for Wonderland long before Jack's mother bought it. His name was Charlie, and he was the nicest so far.

"Dormie is our DJ. He's always running a bit late, though, so you'll have to meet him later," Jack explained as he led Alice to the bar for a complimentary drink. "And this is David, one of my mother's hand-picked hires."

A dark-haired man in a fedora turned around. He acknowledged Jack with a quick look before settling his appraising gaze on Alice. His eyes traveled up and down and his mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything.

She extended her hand. "I'm Alice."

"Pleased to meet you, Alice," he said. "Everybody calls me Hatter."

Alice noted that he was English, like Jack's family, but he didn't speak with the same accent.

"Hatter?" she asked. "Because you wear a hat?"

"Er, no. It's my last name." The look on his face said that this conversation was all too familiar.

"Oh. That's cute. Hatter, Wonderland." She gestured to the room to make her point. Though she tried to disguise it, Alice tended to talk with her hands when she was nervous.

"Does this look like a kid's story to you?"

 _What was this guy's deal?_ Alice shrugged it off. "No."

"Would you care for a drink?" he asked. "Cosmopolitan? Chardonnay? Cup of tea, perhaps?"

Hmm. He obviously already had some opinions of her. "No, thank you," she said primly.

Jack took her by the elbow to continue the tour, but Alice turned back to Hatter. "For future reference, though, I'm more of a gin-and-tonic, red wine and coffee kind of girl."

His mouth twitched in an obvious effort not to react. "Duly noted."

Alice smiled. She'd wear him down eventually.


	2. Airs and graces

Well, this was embarrassing. Alice was in the storeroom, stuck on a metal ladder affixed to the shelves. Her bracelet had somehow jammed into the joint of one of the rungs. Try as she might, she couldn't get it unstuck or unlatched with her free hand.

First full day on the job, and here she was with her arm twisted at an awkward angle, waiting for someone to rescue her. Alice hated being the damsel in distress.

Gah, usually she didn't even wear jewelry, precisely because things like this always seemed to happen to her. How long had she been back here anyway? Surely somebody would notice she was missing by now, right?

She heard someone enter the storeroom, prop the door open, then start to open a box of bottles. She groaned inwardly. Of course it would be the surly bartender.

"Hatter?" she called out tentatively.

His fedora appeared around the corner. "What's the matter?"

"I'm... stuck." She could feel herself start to blush.

"Ah. Thought maybe you were afraid of heights." He came over to stand beneath her. Was she imagining things, or did he look smug?

"Ha, no." She paused to consider as soon as the words were out. "Actually, yes, but the much higher-up kind. I can't–" she rattled her wrist against the bar.

To get the height advantage he needed to reach her wrist, Hatter had to climb onto the ladder with her. This meant pressing his full length against her back, which was, of course, insanely awkward. She could _smell_ him. You weren't supposed to be close enough to smell your coworkers.

He smelled nice.

He held onto her forearm and peered at her wrist. "Are we more concerned with getting you down or salvaging this bracelet?"

"Um, both if possible?"

He made a non-committal noise that she interpreted to mean she was being difficult. But after a few moments (that felt like very slow minutes), he managed to wrest the bracelet free without breaking it.

He helped her off the ladder and went back to his box of bottles.

Alice watched him for a moment, then ventured, "You don't like me much, do you?"

"Don't really know you, do I?"

"You could give me a chance," she offered.

He paused over the box for a moment, then said, "I'll be square with you. I know people like your kind–"

"Hold on, what do you mean _my kind?_ "

He waved his hand. "Airs and graces. Things given to you just because–"

"Ah," Alice interjected again. "You think I got the job because I'm Jack's girlfriend." She put her hands on her hips and shrugged. "Yeah, you know, you're probably right. Kathy probably only gave me an interview because Jack asked her to."

Hatter made a _you said it, not me_ face.

"But," Alice continued, "that doesn't mean I'm not qualified. Or that I won't do my best."

He smirked at her, but there was no malice in his tone when he told her she could do her best that very moment — by helping him carry bottles up to stock the bar.

Alice rolled her eyes as soon as he turned his head, but she intended to make the most of her experience at Wonderland, and she was stronger than she looked. She picked up a box.

He threw a glance of poorly-disguised amusement back at her. "Do try to keep up."


	3. Shoot for charming

Over the next few days, Alice observed Hatter. He might be rough around the edges, she decided, but he had great promise when it came to tending bar. He not only knew his drinks inside out, he was also good at reading customers. He had a way of making people feel important and was quite entertaining when he wanted to be.

Alice suggested to her boss that Hatter could be one of the bar's selling points. Kathy agreed to think about it. She called the next day and instructed Alice to take Hatter with her to a local trade show to represent Wonderland.

Sunday morning, he stood on the sidewalk outside his apartment waiting for her. As she walked toward him, Alice could see him frowning at least a block away. No doubt he was less than enthused about spending part of what was _supposed_ to be his off day on a work excursion.

When she made it to him, she took in his t-shirt and jeans. "You can't go to this thing dressed like... that."

Hatter folded his arms over his chest, looking even more cross. "What's wrong with how I'm dressed?"

"For one, you don't even have a hat," she pointed out.

He scoffed. "I don't always wear a hat, you know."

"Well, you should. It should be a thing. The Hatter of Wonderland and all that."

"You don't think that's cheesy?"

"It's _branding_ ," Alice explained.

Hatter made a face and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"C'mon, I need you to look the part," she cajoled. "And... act it as well. I need you to be your effervescent self for at least the next three hours."

" _Three hours?_ " His voice rose.

"Tops." She gave him a reassuring smile. "And the sooner we get you changed, the sooner it's over with."

"You're not going to budge on this, are you?" He didn't wait for an answer. With a slightly dramatic sigh, he pulled out his key and opened the door for her.

* * *

Alice was surprised by Hatter's place. It was clean, modern and home to plant life.

"Bedroom's back there." He pointed past the couch, but she didn't feel comfortable venturing that far into his private space.

"I trust that you can pick out a different shirt," she assured him, looking around the apartment. "Preferably one with buttons."

"Oh, no, if I'm changing, you're choosing." He lightly put his hand on the small of her back and led her to his room. And yes, she noted, he was definitely smirking.

The tiny bedroom was made even smaller by the bed, which took up most of its space. She was not surprised to find a closet bursting with colorful clothes, to the point that the doors wouldn't even close properly. And who was he trying to kid about the hats? There had to be at least a dozen of them.

She raised an eyebrow at him (which he pointedly ignored), then flipped through the shirt selections and chose a couple of options in black and gray. She tossed them on the bed.

Hatter pulled the black one closer to him, and when he began to remove his t-shirt, Alice turned her head.

"Are you going to start wearing a blue dress to work every day?"

"What?" She reflexively looked back at him, then felt a blush spread across her face. Damn. He'd done that on purpose.

He was completely unabashed. "Wonderland. You're _Alice_. The dress is kind of part of it, yeah?"

Her chin jutted up. "I might."

She did her level best to keep her eyes averted from his bare chest without looking like she was. Her skin felt hot by now and she knew her face must be crimson. She focused on finding a hat that would match his outfit.

"So. How's this?" He held his hands out to the side.

Alice pursed her lips. "Not exactly what I had in mind."

His shoulders fell. "Oh, come on. This should do well enough."

"No, you look great," Alice explained. "This is just too... sexy for daytime."

She completely ignored the smile he gave her when she said sexy and asked "How about we shoot for 'charming?'"

He went with the gray.

* * *

They took the subway to the trade show and spent the next few hours mingling and making conversation. Alice learned that Hatter liked living alone but was struggling to pay bills without a roommate. He enjoyed cooking and used to be in a band but quit because practices were long and gigs didn't pay well.

She told him that she still lived with her mother, that she was rubbish at both plants and cooking and that she used to take judo. She had even been an instructor at one time.

"So you'd be pretty handy in a fight then?" he asked.

"I could take you," she said confidently.

Her response took him off guard and he broke into a full grin. It was the first time Alice had seen his real smile.

He had a dimple. How was that fair?

On their way back to his side of town, Alice told him that Kathy had given her permission to buy him lunch on the company card. He asked if they could go to an international food market instead.

"So you'd rather buy groceries?" Alice was amused by this.

"You never know when you might have need of a little special something, right?" There was a glint in his eye that Alice wasn't accustomed to. It didn't fit with the indifference he'd projected when they first met. She liked his eyes better this way.

"You pick the place, I pay the bill," she told him.

He leaned in, as though he had a secret to tell her. "I know just the place."

It wasn't far from his apartment; an elderly couple ran the business. Judging by Hatter's interactions with them, Alice got the impression he visited often.

When he asked how much he was at liberty to spend, Alice told him to choose for both of them, since Kathy expected her meal to be on the bill as well. They left the store with several bags stuffed with interesting things, some of which Alice hadn't even heard of before (what was a _comfit_?), much less tasted.

Back at his place, Hatter thanked her. "Let me feed you something," he offered.

Alice thought he was offering out of a sense of obligation; it didn't seem fair to use up the rest of his day for that. "Thanks, but I can't. This is supposed to be my off day, too! But I'll hold you to it. You owe me special foodstuffs. And I'll want to be dazzled, understand?" She gave him her best serious look.

He quirked a small smile. "Understood."


	4. A right cheery night

Alice devised a way for Hatter to make some extra funds. She ran the idea past Kathy and got the go-ahead. A few hours before his shift, she texted him.

_"Have idea for cash flow. Assume you are not above flirting with customers. If game, wear ensemble deemed too sexy for trade show."_

When he arrived at Wonderland, Alice noted that her suggestion had been heeded. She went over to the bar to talk with him. As she got closer, she saw that not only was he wearing the outfit, he was wearing eyeliner.

It... suited him.

"Takes instruction _and_ shows initiative," she said. "I knew I liked you."

He tipped his hat to her. "I like your blue dress. Brings out your eyes."

Alice smiled and looked away, suddenly embarrassed. She picked up a small glass vase she'd placed on the counter earlier. "This? Is your tip jar. I can't give you a raise, but Kathy is not opposed to incentives."

Hatter grinned. "Neither am I."

They worked out a system. Hatter would make Alice a fancy cocktail of some kind. She'd come by the bar to retrieve it only when other female patrons were waiting on something. Hatter would flirt with her and she'd make a show of placing money in his tip jar. Then, she'd circulate the room, taking a long time to finish her drink, sending as many customers his way as possible.

"We sell more drinks, which makes Kathy happy. You flirt with the patrons, which makes them happy. They tip you... the happy never ends."

When Hatter would try to return Alice's tips to her, she wouldn't take them.

"Hey, I'm not paying for my drink. I can pay for my compliment, just like everybody else."

* * *

Charlie liked to sit at the bar on the rare nights he came by Wonderland, and Hatter like his company well enough. They usually didn't discuss much beyond tech gadgets and a smattering of politics (a subject area where the accountant showed surprising insight).

But one evening, seemingly out of the blue, Charlie said: "Thought you weren't going to get close."

Alice had been at the bar a moment ago, fetching her evening's drink.

Hatter looked up. "To who? Alice?"

The other man nodded.

"I wouldn't say we're _close_." Hatter hesitated, then added, "She's not bad, though. I thought she'd be... I don't know. She's not what I expected."

"I rather like her," Charlie said. "She isn't swayed by Kathy's moods. And isn't she nice on the eyes?"

Hatter nodded without thinking.

"Do you suppose she's going to catch on?" the older man asked.

Hatter gave a him a blank look.

Charlie sighed and finished the last of his drink. "C'mon. You flirt with all of them, harmless. But you mean every word you say to her. If I can tell the difference, what makes you think she can't?"

* * *

The week before Halloween, Alice came back for a second cocktail. Hatter teased her about it.

" _Two_ drinks? In _one_ night? Are you sure you can handle that much alcohol?"

"Yes, and please, not one of the signature cocktails this time." She lifted herself onto a bar stool. "Something simple but–"

He cut her off by placing a gin-and-tonic in front of her.

"Thank you. It's been a bad day," she admitted.

He placed his elbows on the bar. "Now, see, that makes me sad to hear, since you've made it a right cheery night for me."

Alice tilted her head. "How so?"

"Have you seen your legs this evening?" He did an exaggerated eye pop. "Those look like they were a lot of trouble to put on."

She looked down. In honor of the season, she had chosen Gothic lace hosiery and strappy black shoes. Getting the hose on without ripping holes in the delicate fabric and then adjusting the shoes' buckles had indeed taken some time.

"You're not wrong."

Hatter raised up and drew his hand to his chest. "Well, I, for one, appreciate the effort." Few people could get away with the kind of cheerful leer he gave her.

Alice reached for his tip jar and rummaged through to pull out a five.

"Oi, what's this? You changing the system?"

"I'm revising."

She pulled a ten out of her pocket and brandished it for him.

"That was one of your better ones. Five a leg." She dropped the money in, picked up her drink and hopped away from the bar with a renewed spring in her step.


	5. We look good

"That Hatter kid has the hots for your son's girlfriend," March said to his boss.

"Really?" Kathy looked up from her desk. "What have you noticed?"

"Nothing much, yet." The bouncer paused. "It's the way he looks at her. Especially if she ain't watching."

Kathy sat back in her chair. "Excellent."

"Yeah?" March asked. "How so?"

"Alice is clever. I like the way she runs my bar. But I prefer to run my son."

She brought her fingers together. "Jack is supposed to be taking Alice to a museum fundraiser that we're sponsoring. Tell him I need him to leave for Toronto tonight. And send Hatter in his place."

* * *

Alice was looking forward to her evening. She and Jack hadn't had the chance to spend much time together since she'd started working for his mother, which was ironic. This charity event could be just what they needed to reconnect before he had to leave town again.

She checked her reflection in one of the living room's mirrors. Her hair was swept up in a bun, her makeup frosty and elegant and her dress was the color of Jack's hair. Perfect. And just in time for a knock on the door.

"You're late–" Alice began to tell her boyfriend. Only, it wasn't Jack.

"Hatter?" her head tilted with the confusion of seeing her bartender.

"You've not spoken to Kathy, I take it?" he asked.

Oh. Of course.

"Jack isn't coming," Alice concluded.

Hatter made an apologetic face. "Sorry about that. Should I?" he gestured behind him.

"No, come in. I just–"

"I assumed they would've told you." Hatter looked uncomfortable to be the bearer of bad news.

Alice left him by the door to go retrieve her phone; she had left it charging in the living room. Sure enough, there was a text from Jack. " _Sorry about tonight. Will make it up to you._ " She must have missed it while she was getting ready.

"Look," Hatter said. "If you don't want to go to this thing–"

Alice shook her head. "No, it's fine." She turned toward him and tried without success to keep the disappointment from her voice. "They're expecting a representative. I have to go."

Hatter attempted to lighten the mood. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she replied, looking him over. "So do you."

Actually, he looked better than nice. He had on a dark suit and a deep purple shirt. A velvety black hat completed the ensemble. He looked surprisingly comfortable in the formal clothing.

"If my mom was here, she'd say something like 'that's a smart suit.'"

He smiled and ducked his head in a motion Alice would have deemed bashful on anyone but Hatter. She took a small, cleansing breath.

It wasn't his fault that her evening wouldn't go as she'd planned. She would have to change her attitude out of force of will. Alice squared her shoulders and walked back to Hatter.

He tipped his hat to her. "Ready then?"

She hesitated. Then she stepped forward and pulled the purple handkerchief from his jacket pocket.

"Give me ten minutes," she promised and quickly retreated to her room.

* * *

Once inside, she kicked off her satin pumps and shimmied out of her column dress.

Jack was smooth and suave. She'd wanted to look... _regal_ at his side.

Hatter was... edges and undercurrents, always brimming with something ready to break to the surface. She didn't want to look "elegant."

There wasn't time to change everything. She put on a black dress. She pulled a pair of purple suede ankle boots from a closet shelf. Yes, they matched the handkerchief. Now, where was the shawl that went with the boots?

Pulling the pins from her bun caused her hair to fall into a ponytail. She ran her hands through it to make it messier. There wasn't time to re-do her makeup, but she added thick dark lines around her eyes and smeared off the pale lipstick to re-apply a darker shade. It would have to do.

Hatter hadn't moved any further into the apartment; he was still in the entryway, checking his phone when she returned. He did a double-take when he saw her.

"How did you do that?"

Alice smiled. "Branding."

She came to stand next to him and met his eyes in the mirror.

"How do we look?" she asked.

"'We?'" He glanced at her, then back to their image, taking a moment to consider. "We look good together."

Alice smiled shyly, even though she didn't think he meant it like _that_.

"Alright, then." She adjusted her shawl. "Let's do this."


	6. I like to dance

Wonderland was sponsoring an art opening of abstract paintings at Kathy's favorite gallery. Alice dispatched Hatter with a stack of business cards and the instructions to mingle.

"Mention that tonight's booze is courtesy of Wonderland, where, oh! You just happen to bartend."

He made his way into the crowd. The center of the gallery's space had been cleared for a dance floor. " _Just the right atmosphere for a night with your boyfriend,_ " Alice lamented to herself. She set off to find the event's coordinator.

An hour or so later, Alice was finishing a glass of wine when she spotted Hatter making his way over to her. He had two girls in tow that she recognized as Wonderland regulars.

"I was just telling these ladies that I needed to check in with my boss," he said as soon as they reached her.

The taller of the two women gave Alice a look of derision, but the shorter one decided to play good cop.

"C'mon," she cooed, placing a hand on Hatter's arm. "Isn't he allowed to dance?"

Hatter smiled, but when he was sure only Alice could see him, he mouthed "SAVE ME."

She took a sip of her drink and made eye contact with him. "Oh, he's allowed."

Alice placed her glass on the nearest table. "But he belongs to me this evening, and we haven't even made it to the dance floor ourselves…" She looked at the tall one. "You understand."

Hatter extended a hand. "Shall we?"

Alice took it and smiled at the short one. "Sorry, girls."

This was exactly why she never dated guys like Hatter. All that charm was a breeding ground for drama.

"Thanks," he said once they were past earshot. "Couldn't seem to shake them."

"I'll bet," she answered drolly.

He looked mock-affronted. "I hope you don't mind dancing."

Alice shook her head. "I like to dance. If Jack were here, I probably wouldn't get to. He says it makes him uncomfortable."

The music was upbeat, but not so loud that they couldn't hear themselves speak.

"I wouldn't refer to myself as your boss, y'know," Alice pointed out.

"Really? No?" He gave her a grin. "My superior, then?"

She frowned at him and he continued. "You tell me what I can and cannot wear, you tell me I can't take women home from the bar-"

"It's inappropriate!" she interjected. "And I told you could tell them where you were going after work and they can meet you, you just can't-"

"Alice, I am teasing you." Hatter moved closer and put his hands on her waist. She hadn't noticed the music change tempo.

Now his arms were under hers, pulling him into her personal space. Alice felt like she was dancing too close to somebody who wasn't Jack. Her heart rate sped up; she didn't want Hatter to know he could make her nervous. To distract herself, she said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"So, tell me about your family."

He seemed thrown, tilting his head at her for a moment. He waited a measure before answering. "They... aren't in the picture anymore."

Alice winced. She hadn't meant to bring up a sore subject. That's what she got for saying something impetuously.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I... sort of know what that's like. My dad left when I was ten."

"Where to?"

"I don't know. Canada?" She shrugged. "We haven't heard from him since. I think he forgot about us."

Hatter gave her a kind look. "I'm sorry to hear that."

She looked at his eyes and saw both a gentleness and a depth of sorrow. Alice got the feeling that he knew what it was like to have lost a parent. In that moment, he wasn't a coworker, he wasn't even _Hatter_ , who she now considered a friend. He was someone who could understand, and Alice was blindsided by the vulnerability of sharing her innermost self.

Tears stung at her eyes unexpectedly, and she turned her head and set it against his arm to make eye contact impossible. He held her lightly and didn't say anything more.

Blessedly, the slower song ended and as they parted, he asked "do you suppose we've performed our duties in full yet?"

Her laugh was only a touch shaky. "Yes, I think we have. Ready to go?"

* * *

Though she told him he didn't have to see her all the way back home, Hatter insisted. She had probably freaked him out earlier.

"Thank you for this evening," she said as they climbed the stairs to her mother's loft. "If you'd told me that first day we met that we'd be spending an evening dancing in two months time, I wouldn't have believed you."

"No?"

"You didn't seem very friendly at first," Alice said back over her shoulder.

"Ah. Sorry about that." They reached the hall. "I didn't think I'd have to deal with you long. Wasn't worried about lasting impressions."

"Oh?" Alice asked, facing him.

"Yeah, I thought you would be in and out of Wonderland quick-like. Thought the job was just a lark to you." He took off his hat and fiddled with the brim.

"No, I-" Alice began, but he interrupted her.

"Yeah, my mistake," he said. "I had the wrong opinion formed. You're more — and don't take this the wrong way — working class."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am." Alice pulled out her key and opened the door. She leaned on the frame. "Now that you've had a chance to get to know me better, what's the current opinion?"

Hatter looked at the hat in his hands, and turned it around once, thinking, before he spoke. "That Jack's a lucky guy."

He flipped the hat back up on his head. "See you tomorrow, Alice."

She nodded and shut the door.

Alice readied for bed quietly, so as not to wake her mother. She crawled into her covers thoughtful, tired but content. She hardly missed Jack at all.


	7. Fake boyfriends

Jack made up the missed evening with a weekend catching the last of the fall colors along the Blue Ridge. Then he was off again. He wouldn't be back until after Thanksgiving.

Wonderland would be closed for the turkey-trimmed holiday. On the Wednesday before, some of the staff discussed their plans. Alice's included watching the parade and helping her mother cook.

Hatter wasn't part of the conversation since he was behind the bar, so Alice went over to include him. It was the early evening lull, and he was drinking a cup of tea.

"What about you, Hatter? What are your Thanksgiving plans?"

"Me? Probably sleep in, watch some telly."

"Is that it?"

"That's enough, isn't it?" He took a sip of his drink.

"I mean, you aren't going anywhere or having friends over?" Alice pressed.

He set his cup down. "Why should I?"

"You can't spend Thanksgiving _alone_ ," she insisted.

"It's not a mandatory holiday for me, you know. English and all."

"Yeah, but you live here. When in Rome."

Hatter grinned at her. "It's not a Roman holiday, either."

Alice rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Oh! I know." She slapped her palm onto the bar. "I'm claiming the food you owe me."

"What?"

"Two months ago, you promised to make me something. Now's when I want it. Well, tomorrow. We eat at seven. You want cocktails, you come at six." She stood to go.

"Hey, I never said-"

"See you tomorrow, Hatter."

* * *

"You must be David!"

Alice looked up from setting the table to see her mother giving Hatter a bright smile.

"It's so nice to meet you," Carol said. "Alice talks about you often."

He looked a little overwhelmed as he handed off a container and bottle to his hostess.

"Make yourself at home," Carol told him as she headed for the kitchen.

Alice came over and looked pointedly at his head. She dropped her voice. "'I don't always wear a hat, you know,'" she said playfully.

"Is that supposed to be me?"

She smiled and shrugged.

"Sod off." He took off his hat.

Alice guided him to the living room and introduced him to two of her family members. "This is my Gramma, and this is my Aunt Diane."

Hatter nodded a hello, and Alice's aunt gave him a "pleased to meet you."

"So this is your fella!" Alice's grandmother exclaimed as they took a seat. "He's cute as a button."

Alice spared a quick look at Hatter. "No, Gramma, this isn't Jack. This is… David. We work together."

"At that bar?" her aunt inquired.

"Yeah," Alice answered. "He's our bartender."

"Do you enjoy that?" Diane asked him.

"Moderately," he replied.

Alice gave him gentle jab with her elbow. "Don't mind him, Aunt Di. He's gruff with new people."

Carol returned with two glasses of wine. "Whatever is in that container you brought, it smells wonderful," she said as she gave Hatter a glass.

Alice turned to him. "What'd you make?"

"A potato-cheese-herb thing. Doesn't really have a name. I made it up."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she asked.

He cut his eyes at her. "Are you insinuating something?"

"Not at all," she assured him. "I'm just not surprised that you'd concoct your own recipe. You like to do things your own way. I respect that."

He seemed to believe her, and they sat in companionable silence for a moment. Hatter gestured to Carol, who was taking a phone call. "Your mother is a gracious host."

"Yeah, she is," Alice smiled at her mother. "But you are an excellent guest. You brought food AND wine. The key to a Hamilton woman's heart."

"How many Hamilton women are there?"

Alice laughed. "Six. Mom, me, her two sisters, my grandmother and my cousin."

"Your cousin is bringing a friend, too," Carol called out. "I think we'll need to add the leaf to the table. Come help me get it down."

"Have Alice's boyfriend to do it!" her grandmother threw in. "That's what menfolk are for!"

Alice cast an apologetic glance at Hatter, but he was already addressing her grandmother. "Right you are," he said and stood. Alice followed.

"Gramma's not... No matter how many times we tell her, she's still going to think you're my boyfriend. Is that okay?"

He gave her a smirk that could be trademarked. "Won't she wonder where I am at Christmas?"

Carol laughed and said "not likely," which made Alice frown. Off Hatter's confused look, her mother explained.

"Alice has never had the same boyfriend for consecutive holiday celebrations. Gramma won't notice."

"Jack and I have been together for three months!" Alice argued.

"Yes, sweetie, but Jack is out of town for two weeks of every month, so you've only been dating for six weeks." Carol leaned in to Hatter. "And she still hasn't had him over. "

Alice put her hands on her hips, and Hatter put an arm around her shoulder. She stiffened involuntarily.

"What?" he asked. "Fake boyfriends don't take their girlfriends' sides?"

* * *

Hatter excelled at being a fake boyfriend. He charmed Alice's aunts, helped her mother with the dishes and brought her a cup of coffee to go with her pumpkin pie.

"Thanks, but-"

"It's milk only, don't worry."

Alice tilted her head.

"That time Charlie brought a trifle, you said 'when you add sugar to coffee you're drinking with dessert, it's too sweet.'"

"It is, right?"

"If you say so," he smiled congenially and took his seat next to her.

She looked at his mug suspiciously. "I don't want to know how much sugar you put in yours, do I?"

For an answer, he took a long sip and stared at her over the brim. Alice broke eye contact first. Honestly, flirting must be second nature to him. He probably couldn't even help it.

"So. Was this better than staying home?" she asked him.

"This was nice," he said. "But I need to leave soon. You made it seem so atrocious to spend the day alone that I said yes to another social engagement."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my ex is in town."

"Oh." That shouldn't bother her. It _didn't_ bother her. Did it?

"Carlotta's boyfriend has family here, so…"

"Carlotta," Alice repeated. "She sounds… buxom."

Hatter broke into a grin and waggled his eyebrows at her. "You're not wrong."

Alice couldn't help but smile. And… feel a little relieved that Carlotta had a boyfriend.


	8. You must be his friends

If Alice was already at work when Hatter arrived to prep the bar, she switched the satellite radio to a station that played British bands. She noticed he worked better to music, and certain bands caused him to forget himself and sing along. Alice enjoyed that.

She liked to listen to Sigur Rós, and he needled her about it. "I don't understand why you like this, Alice. You can't even tell what they're saying."

"That's precisely _why_ I like it," she explained. "The music energizes me, and I don't get distracted by the lyrics while I'm trying to do bookwork."

"We'll agree to disagree, then," he decided.

Shortly before Christmas, Hatter was in an unusually good mood because he had friends coming for a visit. They were going to hang out at his place for a few days and then he was going to fly back to England with them for two weeks.

He was happily whistling along to what Alice recognized as a Fratellis song when she stopped by the bar. She had a delivery to make.

"I wanted to give this to you now since you won't be here for the party next week." She held out a slender parcel covered in heavy foil wrapping.

"Is this a Christmas present?" He made a show of shaking it.

"I would tell you not to open it until the 25th, but I know you won't wait. So instead, I ask that you not tell any of the other guys what it is in case they'd like to be surprised."

He stashed the present under the bar. "We all get the same thing, eh?"

"Um… Sort of. Yours is actually a little different." Alice paused. "They looked more… you. But if you don't like the difference, blame me instead of Kathy. I picked them out."

He gave her a wide grin. "I will keep that in mind."

* * *

Hatter's friends showed up shortly before final call. Alice saw them from across the bar; one was tall with brown hair and the other a somewhat shorter dark blonde with a beard. Once, they seemed to be looking at her, so she waved. Brown Hair held up a glass in recognition.

It was a busy night, so she didn't get a chance to meet them properly until they were about to leave. The three men were bundled up in coats and scarves by the employee entrance when she walked by.

"Ah, so this is your Alice!" the one with the darker hair said as she approached.

Hatter cut a quick glance to her. "Er, she's not my-"

But Alice knew what they meant. "You must be his friends. I was starting to think he didn't have any!"

"Oi," Hatter objected. "You're one to talk!"

"I'm Matt," said the one with the beard, extending his hand. "And this is Ben." He jerked his head at Brown Hair.

"Mates from the mother country," Ben said. "David has promised us mayhem in the city until dawn at least."

"Wow," Alice said. "You must go way back. Nobody calls him David."

"That's because he hates it," Ben said happily. "Which is why I do it, naturally."

"It's really too bad they live so far away," Hatter said wryly.

"Ben can be an acquired taste," Matt pointed out.

"Ah, but once you do, I am very hard to get out of your system." Ben smiled at Alice devilishly. "What are your plans this fair night, crumpet? A lovely lady would balance our party nicely."

"You?" Alice responded. "Are an even bigger flirt than he is." She nodded in Hatter's direction.

"Yeah, but mine's all bark, as I am happily attached." He put his arm around Matt.

"Oh, not so different then," Alice bantered. "His is all bark, too."

"Really? I think if you gave him the chance to bite, you'd find-"

But Ben didn't get the chance to complete his sentence as both Hatter and Matt took him by an arm.

"Nice meeting you, Alice," Matt said as they shoved Ben out the door.

A moment later, Hatter stepped back inside. "Hey, Alice!" he called out. "Have a nice Christmas."

"Yeah, you, too! And a safe flight. Flights." Would it be inappropriate to hug your bartender because you weren't going to see him for two weeks? Probably.

"Right," Hatter nodded. "Oh! And thank you for the fingerless gloves. I really like them."

Alice grinned triumphantly. "I knew it! I knew you couldn't wait!"

He gave her one of his more brilliant smiles and slipped through the door.

Alice wondered how she could see that dimple more often.

* * *

Jack invited Alice and her mother over for Christmas Eve dinner. Because she still hadn't had him to her place, it became a Meet the Parents thing. Alice was a bundle of nerves.

It was awkward being under Kathy's roof. Alice thought she held her footing well with the woman while they were at work, but in her home was another matter.

Jack's father turned out to be an impossibly placating man. It seemed everything he said or did was a way to mitigate his wife's displeasure. Alice couldn't help but wonder if Jack had picked any of that up. Were there times he only told Alice what he thought she wanted to hear?

She didn't like that notion at all. She thought she could trust Jack. What if… what if what they had was a lie?

After dinner, Alice and her mom ended up alone by the fireplace for awhile. It gave Alice a chance to let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in for the last hour.

"You are so on edge tonight," Carol said lowly. "I wish you were as at home with Jack as you were with David at Thanksgiving."

Alice rolled her eyes. This was not the first time her mother had brought up Hatter since Thanksgiving.

"Mom, that's different. We were at home."

"Oh, that's not what I mean, Alice. You were yourself with him. At ease. Maybe someone like David-"

" _Mom_."

Carol put her hands up. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy," Alice stated grumpily.

"Are you?" Carol pressed. "Are you in love with Jack?"

"I like him," she answered and Carol frowned. "A lot!" Alice added emphatically. "He's… stable. Dependable."

Her mother's frown faded to sympathy. "Honey, just because your dad left, it doesn't mean they all will."

Alice looked off.

"I know, you don't want a lecture. But I don't want you to be with somebody who isn't right for you just because you have this idea of who you're supposed to be with based on some notion-"

"Mom, I don't want to talk about this."

Carol folded her hands in her lap. Alice managed a weak smile when Jack brought a tray with coffees and mincemeat cake.

"These are for you," he said, placing the tray between Alice and her mother. "Carol, I want to know all about you."

Before he could sit, his pocket began to vibrate.

"I'm sorry," he pulled his phone out and glanced at it. Jack looked at Alice. "I need to take this. I'll only be a moment."

"Yeah, fine," she responded. Alice focused all of her attention on eating her cake in order to avoid speaking to her mother.

When she felt the coffee had long enough to cool, she took a sip. Which she quickly spit out as discreetly as possible. Was that _two_ lumps of sugar?

Her mother only had one thing to say.

"Your fake boyfriend knew how you take your coffee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Fratellis song that gets a mention is "Whistle For The Choir" because the lyrics seemed appropriate.


	9. You won't catch fire

Wonderland was hosting a huge New Year's Eve party. Alice had a to-do list a mile long. But when Hatter told her he'd need a minute of her time later, she still agreed.

He came to find her shortly before midnight. "Dormie's watching the bar for a bit. Where's your coat?"

"In the back," she answered. "Why do I need my coat?" He hadn't told her why he wanted to see her.

"To stop you from catching cold," he said, as if this was obvious.

Ah, so he wanted to be mysterious. Fine, she'd play along. She went to retrieve her coat, and he led her to the elevator.

"Up?" she asked once he pressed the button. "Why up?"

"That's where the roof is."

Honestly, Hatter could be so theatrical at times. He dug in his pockets for something, and Alice smiled to see it was the gloves from Christmas.

"Why are we going to the roof?" she tried again.

"You'll see," he answered enigmatically. The eyeliner he wore for work gave some of his facial expressions an additional weight. This was one of those times. Alice gave up on trying to pry information from him.

The elevator doors slid open and cold air bit into her. "Hatter, it's freezing up here!"

"We won't be long," he promised, tugging on her sleeve. "But you owe me a holiday indulgence after you made me eat that mushy piece of pumpkin-"

"It's tradition!" Alice defended.

"So's this. In my family anyway."

That quieted her. Hatter never talked about his family. She was touched that he wanted to share something with her.

"My mum always got me a box of these for New Year's Eve," he said, opening his jacket. "I'd burn through all of them except one, which I'd save for my birthday."

He produced a lighter and a sparkler. "Ta-da."

Alice smiled to think of Hatter as a little boy. "When's your birthday?"

"February 13. Have you not memorized all of your employees' data?"

"No." Her teeth began to chatter. "Should yours have a note about a tendency to play with fire?"

He laughed and lit the sparkler. But when he tried to hand it to her, Alice narrowed her eyes. "I'm not holding that!"

"You have to." He held it closer.

"I have a thing about not wanting to catch fire."

"Alice," he said patiently. "You won't catch fire."

She regarded him skeptically and he leaned down to look her eye to eye. "I wouldn't let you do it if you wouldn't be okay."

Reluctantly, she took the sparkler in her bare hand. She held it still, as far from her body as possible, as if it were a live snake.

"You're supposed to draw with it," he explained.

"What?"

He came to stand behind her and reached around to cover her right hand with his. When he moved her arm and sparks fell, she pulled her left arm back in alarm. He just laughed and covered that one, too.

From the safety of Hatter's arms, she watched as he drew her name, the year, a smiley face.

She didn't feel cold anymore, and her breath caught in her throat. She didn't want the light to go out.

As it fizzled, he let her go and looked at her expectantly.

"Do you have another one?" she asked, surprised when her voice came out husky. She was rewarded with one of his dimpled smiles when a voice rang out.

"Alice!" Jack called. "There you are."

She stepped back from Hatter, the moment broken. Her boyfriend stood holding the elevator's doors open, confident that she'd be returning to the party with him.

"I should-" she began before Hatter cut her off.

"Go. I'll be fine." He smiled again, but it didn't reach his eyes.

She gripped her coat and walked to Jack.

* * *

"You two looked pretty friendly," her boyfriend said tightly once the elevator doors closed.

"He is a friend," Alice said evenly.

They watched the numerals above their heads light up one at a time.

"I don't know what you see in him," Jack said.

"What I see in him?" Alice looked at her boyfriend. His jaw was set in a rigid line. "Are you jealous, Jack?"

"A little," he said, nonplussed. As if Hatter wasn't worth getting riled up over.

Alice tried not to seethe. She knew Jack didn't like Hatter very much. (A feeling that seemed to be mutual.) But she didn't like her boyfriend being so dismissive of someone she knew to be a good person.

"I can count on him," she said. She didn't know how to explain it to Jack. That Hatter wasn't what he seemed.

But it didn't matter, because once they returned to the party, Jack acted as if nothing was amiss. They made it to the dance floor for the countdown, and she rang in a new year with her impeccable boyfriend. She'd expected to be more excited about that. She must be tired from planning the event.

An after-party would continue until dawn at Jack's place, but Alice told him she didn't feel like staying up anymore. Jack took her home.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," she assured him. "I just want to sleep in my own bed. All of this celebrating must be getting to me."

He nodded and left.

"Alice? Is that you?" her mom called out.

"Yeah, sorry," Alice answered. "Did I wake you?"

Carol appeared in her bedroom doorway. "No, I stayed up to watch the ball drop. Hadn't made it to sleep yet. I thought you wouldn't be home at all tonight. Wasn't there a party at Jack's?"

Alice nodded as she took off her coat and heels. "I'm partied out." And then, because her mother was her best friend, she added "And Jack is sort of on my nerves."

"Beginning of the end?" Carol asked knowingly.

"I didn't say that," Alice said defensively.

"You're right. I'm sorry, sweetie." Carol turned and went back to bed.

But Alice knew her mom had a point. She did always find a reason to break up with them. But Jack was different. Wasn't he?

She wasn't going to break up with him. He was all the things she was looking for. She slipped into bed.

Her phone buzzed a while later; she hadn't expected Jack to check on her. But it was a message from Hatter.

_"Happy New Year, Alice."_

She went to sleep thinking of sparks.


	10. I might be contagious

January was slow and cold. Alice swapped to working days in order to get all of the employees' income taxes filed on time. She got to spend a lot of time with Charlie.

On some days, if she was still at Wonderland and Hatter arrived early, he would bring her a cup of coffee.

"He likes taking care of you," Charlie noted.

"What?" Alice looked up.

But Charlie had already turned his attention back to his computer. He was muttering again and the only phrase she made out was "so daft."

The next time he spoke, it was to ask "what ARE we listening to?" when the background music changed to Icelandic rock with indistinguishable lyrics.

Alice merely smiled and drank her coffee.

* * *

At the beginning of February, Alice came down with strep throat. Swallowing was agony, and she couldn't talk. She had to send Kathy a text message saying her doctor wouldn't let her go back to work until she'd been on antibiotics for 48 hours.

The timing was poor. Jack was at the beginning of one his business trips and her mom was off visiting one of her sisters.

The fever was getting better, but she still had chills. She didn't have the energy to take a shower or cook anything, but she was tired of sleeping and watching television.

Alice was _bored_.

She was about to text Hatter and let him know that she wouldn't be at work when the doorbell rang.

"Whoever that is can just come back some other time," she thought. But she shuffled over to look through the peephole anyway.

Hatter. She opened the door.

"Well, don't you look _ravishing_ ," he said.

Alice pursed her lips. She'd seen herself in the mirror earlier. "Sallow" applied more than anything else at the moment.

She gestured for him to come in and went to fetch a notepad. She scribbled a question for him and held it up.

_"Why aren't you at work?"_

"Kathy wants me to work some sort of odd shift this weekend, so she told me to take tonight off."

Alice nodded and scribbled again.

_"Why are you here?"_

"I came by to make sure you were okay."

Oh, that was sweet.

"I know Jack's gone and you said your mom was out of town this week, yeah?"

She nodded again. He was carrying a bag, so she pointed to it.

"Ah." He held it up. "Soup." He walked past her to the kitchen and started placing things on the counter. Hatter had no qualms about making himself at home.

The sight of real food lifted her spirits. She went to stand next to him and bumped his shoulder with hers in appreciation.

"If you don't feel like eating, I get it," he said. "But I thought-"

Alice wasn't listening. She had already popped one of the lids off and bent over to smell the contents. She lifted her brows and he understood what she was asking.

"Yeah, I made it. Not fresh, though. You have to boil a chicken for the stock and that takes time. This was frozen, so we need to heat it up."

She pointed out the cabinet that held pots and pans and then wrote down a warning for him.

_"I might be contagious."_

"Then I won't kiss you," he said. "Or use your toothbrush."

* * *

They put their soup in mugs and took them to the couch. It was hard to make conversation when you couldn't talk. But Alice had already spent two days not talking, so she kept writing out questions.

_"How'd you know I was sick?"_

"Kathy mentioned it when she called. I'm sure you'll be right as rain in a few days."

She nodded.

"And don't worry, Duchess is probably more than happy to fill in for you."

Alice scoffed and then winced.

_"Why does she hate me?"_

Hatter gave her an incredulous look. "You really don't know?"

She shook her head.

"Duchess has had a thing for your boyfriend for ages. Since you got the job she wanted, why else would she stay at Wonderland?"

Alice considered this. How had she not noticed? She slumped against the cushions.

"You do have a knack for turning a blind eye to things, I suppose," Hatter mused.

What did he mean by that? She drew three questions marks.

He set his mug down. "Nothin.'"

Alice poised her pencil to write something else, and Hatter spoke quickly. "Does your mother have cable?"

She paused and nodded.

"Can I… watch it?"

She tilted her head and opened her eyes wide.

"Oh, mind out of the gutter, Alice! I meant regular shows." He reached for the remote. "I haven't had cable since I had a roommate."

They spent the next several hours watching television. Besides cable, the Hamilton abode was also home to a streaming device. She nodded off during an episode of something with drug dealers.

Hatter prodded her. "Hey, Alice. Is there some sort of medicine you're supposed to take before you go to sleep?"

She sat up and swallowed before she remembered why that action was off-limits. As she got up, she checked the time.

It was getting late. Hatter probably wanted to head home. Alice took her medicine and went ahead and brushed her teeth before going back to the living room.

Instead of gathering his things, she found him still scrolling through instant viewing titles. She found her notepad between the couch cushions. _"Junkie."_

"If I kept the volume low, would you mind-"

She was fed up with having to write everything out, so she leaned down to his ear and whispered instead. "Stay as long as you like."

* * *

Alice felt better in the morning. She'd send Hatter a message later and tell him it must have been the soup. She should also thank him for keeping her company last night.

Only, he hadn't left.

He was still on her couch.

The television was off, and Alice realized he had probably only used it as an excuse to stay the night. He knew her enough to know she'd have never asked it of him. But she was grateful nonetheless.

She took a moment to watch him sleep. He was so peaceful. No fidgeting, no fast-talking. Just Hatter.

_Her_ Hatter.

The thought filled her with clarity. She needed to talk to Jack.

Alice was old-fashioned; she believed in breaking up in person.


	11. Please don't leave

In the week since Hatter spent the night on her couch, Alice had become adept at avoidance. She artfully dodged texts and phone calls from her boyfriend whom she planned to break up with AND any sort of personal interaction with her bartender whom she intended to pursue once she was single.

Of course, she didn't plan on avoiding Hatter that evening. It was the day before his birthday, but Alice wouldn't see him then because his friends would be back in town to celebrate.

She'd be facing Jack soon, as well. He had promised to return by Valentine's Day. She knew it was poor form to dump somebody right before the heart-filled holiday, but wasn't it worse to do it right after?

Especially if you might be (maybe already had) fallen for someone else?

* * *

"Hello, Charlie, this is a pleasant surprise," Hatter greeted the white-haired man.

"Is it? Mmm," the accountant replied, opening his laptop at the far end of the bar. He operated in a state of perpetual distraction.

"Care for a drink?" the bartender asked. Charlie nodded without looking up.

Hatter returned a moment later. He placed a napkin and glass in front of the older man. "I think she finally figured it out."

Charlie's head rose. "And?"

Hatter frowned. "And so now she avoids me."

"Oh. I thought… I guess I thought wrong." Charlie gave him a kind smile. "She lights up when you're around. I assumed."

Hatter leaned against the bar, fiddling with his hat. "Yeah, I sort of hoped myself."

"Sometimes people miss what's under their very nose," Charlie offered.

"If she wasn't so fixated on Jack..."

"Speak of the devil," Charlie mumbled. Hatter turned his head to see the boss' son approaching the bar. He motioned for Hatter to come over.

"Better go see what his highness wants," Hatter muttered.

Normally, Jack didn't bother to make eye contact when he spoke to Hatter. But he addressed him clearly on this occasion. "I need a bottle champagne. Chilled, of course."

The bartender bristled. "What for?"

Jack gave him a level gaze. "I'm asking Alice something."

Hatter felt his stomach drop.

He wordlessly handed Jack what he'd requested. Then he went back to the Charlie's end of the bar and poured himself a shot.

* * *

When Alice got to Wonderland, she was immediately waylaid by Charlie looking for receipts. She waved to Hatter at his post behind the bar, and though he nodded in acknowledgement, she didn't get a smile.

Jack, however, surprised her with a red rose.

"I didn't expect you until tomorrow," Alice told him.

"I couldn't wait to see you," he replied, kissing her temple. "You look lovely this evening, darling."

"Thank you." Alice had on her blue dress. And she'd worn red tights for the upcoming holiday.

Jack placed his hand on his chest in a humble gesture of interruption, but when he spoke, it was with the notion that whatever he said would be heeded. "Charlie here can spare you for a moment, surely?"

" _Airs and graces_ ," Alice thought immediately. The aging accountant agreed to wait.

"Come, I have a table set up for us on the mezzanine," Jack said.

"Oh. Okay." She followed him up the stairs. Now seemed as good a time as any. "I'm glad you're here, because we need to have a talk about our relationship…"

Jack stepped out of the way and Alice spotted the table with a single candle and a bottle of champagne. Her insides twisted. Her timing was even worse than she'd imagined.

Her boyfriend pulled a chair out for her and she sat in it numbly. Jack noted the change in her demeanor. Alice managed a small smile.

He took a small blue box out of his pocket and set it on the table without fanfare.

"I suppose you know what that is. And what I'm asking."

"No, Jack," Alice said softly. "You are... everything I thought I wanted."

"But?"

"I've changed."

* * *

" _I wonder if I will be out of a job soon_ ," Alice mused. Perhaps Kathy would be pleased that her son would no longer be dating the help. Alice couldn't fathom having that woman for a mother-in-law. She shuddered to even think of it.

But she did like Wonderland. She hoped she'd get to stay.

When she returned to the main floor, Alice noticed that Dormie was behind the bar. That was odd. She went to investigate.

"Where's Hatter?"

"He's... in the back," Dormie answered hesitantly.

"Stocking up?" Alice asked.

"Sure... maybe."

Dormie wasn't much help, so Alice went looking for her bartender. She passed Charlie on her way through the Employees Only door.

"Charlie! Did you find those receipts?"

"Indeed," the older man answered. "I was just on my way-"

Alice stopped him. "Hey, and have you seen Hatter?"

"Ah, yes, I have." Charlie paused to stroke his beard, and she knew something was up. He did that when there was news he'd rather not share.

"Where is he?" Alice asked firmly.

"He's… this way."

She followed Charlie to the room where the staff often spent break time or made personal phone calls. Hatter was slumped in one of the metal chairs; his hat had fallen off. A bottle of whiskey was on the table next to him, empty.

"Is he... passed out?"

"It would appear so," Charlie confirmed.

Alice took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Getting an early start on his birthday, I take it. Charlie, do you have a car?"

When he nodded, Alice said "Good, you have to help me get him out of here. Kathy will have his head if she sees him like this."

Hatter roused when they raised him up between them, but barely. Between Wonderland and his apartment, everything he said was total gibberish. Apparently somewhere, there were crumbs in the butter.

* * *

Charlie left once they had Hatter deposited on his bed. Alice thanked him for going above and beyond the call of duty. But truly, she thought the older man had gotten a kick out of smuggling someone out from under their employer.

Alice removed Hatter's boots and rummaged in his bathroom cabinet for painkillers. She knelt down by the bed and shook him a little. He murmured, so he wasn't out just yet.

"Okay, I'm afraid if I try to get you to drink anything, including water, that you're going to throw up on me. But I've put some aspirin here by the bed. Will you be alright?"

Hatter turned his head at the sound of her voice and opened his eyes. He seemed to focus on her for one lucid moment. "Alice." He put his hand to her cheek, a clumsy movement that still made her warm inside. "Please don't leave."

Her heart leaped into her throat. She chose to make a joke.

"You _are_ going to vomit, aren't you? And you don't want to clean it up by yourself."

He dropped his hand and laughed, closing his eyes. He mumbled something unintelligible and like that, he was out.

Alice texted her mom that Hatter didn't feel well and that she'd be spending the night on his couch. She still couldn't get over how quickly he'd gotten wasted; it wasn't like him at all.

She needed to get back to Wonderland and make sure Dormie did okay behind the bar. She could come back to Hatter's place after closing. Because she'd never seen him in this state. And because it was his birthday weekend and someone should look after him.

Who was she kidding? She'd be back because he asked her to stay.


	12. About time

Judging by the gray light in the apartment, it was still pretty early in the morning when Alice heard Hatter stumble to the bathroom. Would he remember she was there? In daylight, it seemed like an intrusion. How had he felt waking up at her place?

When he came out, there was a sound of something sliding across the floor and she heard him swear. He'd tripped on her boots. There was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"Alice?"

"You're noisy first thing in the morning," she mumbled.

He came over and sat down across from her on the coffee table. "Why are you on my couch?"

She sat up. "You asked me to stay."

He sat a little straighter. "Did I?"

"Yeah. You never struck me as the can't hold his liquor type." She stretched her arms over her head. "Do you always drink so much for your birthday?"

"No. Ah, got some bad news yesterday. Did I... say anything else? Last night?"

"Like what?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Nothin.'"

"What was the bad news?" Alice asked. She closed her eyes swiftly. "Sorry, nevermind, that was too personal. I shouldn't have asked."

"'S alright." His gaze fell on her hands. "Might not've... actually happened yet."

Alice nodded, even though she didn't know what he was talking about.

They sat in awkward silence. Her eyes traveled over his face, noting a faint line creased into his cheek from the sheets. His hair was unusually messy.

" _So this is what it looks like to wake up to you_ ," she thought and then abruptly looked away.

Hatter cleared his throat. "Your, um, dress is all wrinkled."

Alice attempted to smooth the fabric. "Yeah, I, uh, didn't plan on a sleepover."

"I could... I have an iron." Hatter seemed at a loss for words. That was rare. Maybe he was embarrassed for her to be there.

"I might take you up on that. Hey, since you woke me up, do you have any coffee?"

"Think so, yeah."

When Hatter went to the kitchen, Alice went to the bathroom. There was a hamper of clothes behind the door. She pulled out one of his undershirts and sniffed it. It didn't smell dirty; it just smelled like him.

She unzipped her dress and pulled the shirt on. It barely covered her backside, but with her legs covered in tights, it didn't seem too scandalous. She draped her dress over the back of the couch as she headed to the kitchen.

The look Hatter gave her when he turned felt like a reward. He coughed a little and said "I could have gotten you a clean one."

Alice shrugged. "Didn't figure I'd be in it long."

When his eyebrows went up, Alice realized the double meaning. "How about I make some toast?" she offered as a change of subject.

"I thought you didn't cook?"

"Doesn't seem fair to have you make breakfast when you're the one with the hangover. I can make toast. Sit down."

He poured a cup of coffee and complied. The kitchen was separate from the area where he had a table. She liked that he trusted her in his space.

When the food was ready, she poured herself a cup of coffee and carried him a plate.

"Happy birthday, Hatter," she said as she placed it in front of him.

"Thank you," he said softly. He looked... sad. Wistful. Or was that just hung over?

"Don't expect me to sing," she quipped. Her phone buzzed, and she went to retrieve it. "This is my mom. Mind if I take this?"

Hatter shook his head. She sat across the table from him.

"Hey. Yeah, I'm still at Hatter's. He's... hungover. I know!" She pulled the phone from her ear and looked at him "Mom says to wish you a happy birthday."

He nodded and drank his coffee.

"He did? Are you crazy? No, if Jack calls again, DO NOT tell him I'm here. He–" Alice involuntarily made eye contact with Hatter. "He proposed."

Hatter froze. Alice looked down at table.

"No, mom. Congratulations are not in order. I..." Alice took a deep breath. "I broke up with him. I was actually on the breaking up part when he did the proposal. Yeah. Yeah, he did. Y'know, I already feel like crap about it, so maybe you could? Thanks."

Alice looked back up. "Hey, you're getting some color back in your face!"

He was blinking kind of rapidly, though. Must be the coffee.

"No, I was talking to Hatter. Yeah, he's been sort of green this morning. I made him some toast — stop it — she's digging on me about cooking, too — no, to soak up the booze! Yeah, yeah, I'll be home later. Sure, all the gory details. Um, no, I am _not_ telling him that. Okay, love you, too. Bye."

Alice set her phone down and took a long drink of coffee. She hated when it got too cold.

"So you're..." Hatter paused. "You're single then?"

Alice choked on her coffee.

Just then, there was a commotion as the door to the apartment was flung open. It banged against the wall as Ben and Matt made their way inside.

"Ho! Where's the birthday boy? Is he up? Hope you aren't trying to have a lie in–" Ben's booming voice cut off abruptly when he saw Hatter and Alice sitting at the table.

"Alice. Good to see you." Ben gave her a thousand-watt smile and then looked to Hatter. "Happy birthday indeed, mate! It was about time you–"

Hatter's eyes were alarmingly wide as he spoke quickly and loudly to his friend. "Alice was kind enough to bring me home last night when I had too much to drink."

Ben's smile faltered. He crossed his arms and looked at Alice, then back at Hatter. "Is she wearing your shirt?"

"Ah, yes. I told her I'd iron her dress before she wore it home," Hatter stood. "Which I'm guessing will be shortly now."

Pointedly looking anywhere but at Alice, Hatter grabbed her dress off the couch and retreated to his room.

Alice looked to Ben. He only held up his palms in a hands-off gesture. Matt busied himself with their bags.

"If you'll just excuse me," Alice said to them as she followed her bartender.

* * *

Hatter's back was to her when she entered. He was using the top of a chest of drawers as a makeshift ironing board.

"You don't want me to stay?" she asked.

"Hell, no!" he responded. But his voice didn't have any heat behind it.

Alice didn't know what to say, but she was dying to know what Ben meant by "about time." She watched Hatter's shoulders fall as it seemed he decided something.

"I... started drinking because I thought you were engaged to Jack."

"What?"

He turned around.

"He came by the bar for a bottle of champagne yesterday, said he was plannin' on asking you something. Then you showed up in your favorite dress, and the two of you went off..." He waved his hand. "And I was just trying _not_ to think about it. Alcohol seemed like a quick fix."

Alice bit her lip. "I didn't know Jack was going to propose. I was... waiting to break up with him in person, because I've known for awhile that I want something else."

She watched it move across his face. Something he wanted to say, trapped there. A little push, that's all he needed.

"The blue dress is my favorite, though. This guy once told me it brings out my eyes." She took a step toward him. Now or never, Alice. "I wore it for his birthday."

"You–" he looked back over his shoulder to the dress. "That's for–" Hatter was having trouble forming a coherent thought.

"Yep," she replied, popping the P on the end. Alice looked down and tugged on the hem of the shirt she was wearing. "And I didn't want a clean one because then it wouldn't _smell_ like y–"

But she didn't get to finish, because he'd already closed the distance between them. He pulled her off her feet and into his arms.

_Oh, that feels good,_ Alice thought. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and savored the feeling of him.

He set her down, and as she looked to his face, she saw it. Her favorite of his smiles, unguarded and open and, as she realized now, reserved only for her.

"Finally," was all he said.

And then he kissed her.

(Neither of them noticed his friends watching from the doorway.)

~finis~


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last two chapters are just a re-telling of the previous story from Hatter's POV. I was trying to write the Duchess & Charlie chapters of "After Alice" and they were NOT cooperating, so I took yuialex's suggestion to "do this one again but from Hatters point of view." It turned out to be REALLY FUN to write from Hatter's side & this ended up much longer than I intended. [And hey, IT WORKED. Chapters 5 and 6 of After Alice now posted.]

CHAPTER 1

"What are you doing here so early?" Charlie asked.

"I was told to come in and meet the new manager. Jack's bird."

Hatter was not pleased. Duchess had earned the right to the position; she'd been working for Wonderland for ages. And now this girl was just going to come in and take over because she was dating Kathy's son. It didn't sit right with him.

"Ah, yes. I met her this morning." The accountant stroked his beard.

"And? C'mon, out with it."

"I liked her."

"Oh. You liked her."

Just because Charlie had gone soft didn't mean Hatter had to.

* * *

"And this is David, one of my mother's hand-picked hires."

Hatter had learned to suppress frowning every time Jack called him by his given name. Either Jack did it on purpose to annoy him or he'd never bothered to learn Hatter's preference to go by his last name. Didn't really matter. In essence, Jack was a dick.

And anybody who _dated_ Jack… well. Obviously he wasn't going to get along with them.

He let his eyes fall on the girl. She had brown hair and blue eyes — he always liked that combination — and she seemed annoyingly enthusiastic.

He looked her up and down. He hoped to piss off Jack by openly checking out his girlfriend.

She extended her hand. "I'm Alice."

"Pleased to meet you, Alice," he said. "Everybody calls me Hatter."

He meant it as a dig for Jack, so he wasn't prepared for her to ask if it was because he wore a hat.

"Er, no. It's my last name."

"Oh. That's cute. Hatter, Wonderland." She gestured to the room.

_Was she being dismissive?_

"Does this look like a kid's story to you?" he asked.

"No." She bristled.

_Ah, love, if it's that easy to get under your skin..._

"Would you care for a drink?" he offered. "Cosmopolitan? Chardonnay? Cup of tea, perhaps?"

"No, thank you," she said primly.

Jack took her by the elbow to continue the tour, but she turned back to Hatter. "For future reference, though, I'm more of a gin-and-tonic, red wine and coffee girl."

It took far more effort not to smile at Alice's sudden boldness that it did not to frown at Jack.

"Duly noted," he said.

* * *

CHAPTER 2

He'd just cut open a box of beer bottles when he heard Alice call his name. It was her first full day on the job and he'd managed to avoid her so far.

He stuck his head around the corner and saw her on top of the ladder. Why was she just standing up there? "What's the matter?"

"I'm... stuck."

_Well, aren't you useful._

He walked over to her. "Ah. Thought maybe you were afraid of heights."

"Ha, no." She paused. "Actually, yes, but the much higher-up kind. I can't-" she rattled her wrist against the bar.

To reach her wrist, he had to get on the ladder with her. It was a perfect opportunity to leer, but if Jack wasn't there to witness it, why bother?

She hugged herself closer to the rungs, but there's wasn't anywhere to go, so he was still intimately in her personal space. He realized she was more petite than he'd first noticed.

He examined her wrist. A silver braid, with a charm dangling from it, a capital H. Probably sentimental. "Are we more concerned with getting you down or salvaging this bracelet?"

"Um, both if possible?" she asked.

_Definitely sentimental_ , he hummed to himself.

It only took him a few moments to work the chain back and forth until it pulled free. Then he helped her off the ladder and went back to his box of bottles.

Alice followed him. After a moment's silence, she said "You don't like me much, do you?"

He didn't look up. "Don't really know you, do I?" _Nor do I plan to, as there's no way you'll be here very long._

"You could give me a chance," she said softly.

He looked at her and sighed. She was probably a nice person. Still.

"I'll be square with you. I know people like your kind-"

"Hold on, what do you mean _my kind_?" Her voice rose.

He waved his hand. "Airs and graces. Things given to you just because-"

"Ah. You think I got the job because I'm Jack's girlfriend." Her stance became defensive. "Yeah, you know, you're probably right. Kathy probably only gave me an interview because Jack asked her to."

_You don't say._

"But that doesn't mean I'm not qualified. Or that I won't do my best."

Hatter wasn't sure why it would matter to this girl what she thought of him. He supposed it didn't hurt him to give her the benefit of the doubt. He stood.

"Well, you can do your very best right now by carrying up a case of these to restock."

She looked at him for a moment. But instead of saying anything, she stepped forward and picked up a box.

Hatter lifted a case of his own and glanced back at her. "Do try to keep up."

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Hatter had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kathy was giving Alice directions to a trade show. He heard them talking about it as he walked by.

"Take somebody with you so we have a larger presence," Kathy was saying as he passed them. "March is no good at things like this. Perhaps you and, ah– our bartender."

He stopped when she said that. Hatter knew by Kathy's smile he wasn't going to like the plan nor be able to opt out of it.

"Alice will come pick you up in the morning. She'll fill you in on the rest."

For her part, Alice didn't seem any more keen on the idea, either. But she put her sunny self forward anyway and said she'd see him Saturday morning.

* * *

Of course she'd made him change. He should have expected it really.

He did have fun teasing her about wearing a blue dress since she was named Alice. Turn-about being fair play and all.

He did _not_ expect her to say he was sexy. He was filing that away for sure.

Once they were on their way, his mood improved a bit. He'd still rather not be going. Hatter shouldn't even be _awake_ yet. Much less in transit to some thing where he'd have to smile.

"Does this not ruin your Saturday as well?" he asked on the subway.

"Honestly?" she countered. "If I wasn't doing this, I'd probably be helping my mom with some sort of project."

He raised an eyebrow. "Crafts?"

Alice laughed. A delightful sound.

" _Home_ project. My mom bought this loft, and it needed a lot of work. We've been there for… six years? There are still all these things to be done or improvements she wants to make."

"Ah, so it's either rub elbows with muckety-mucks or what, sand floors? Paint ceilings? Are you an electrician? I can't see you in coveralls…"

Alice turned her head to look at him. "Y'know, your place wasn't exactly what I would have pictured."

"No?" He wondered what she might have pictured. "What was most unexpected?"

Alice mused. "The plants."

This made him laugh. "I don't look like a plant person?"

"No. I don't know," Alice added. "What does a plant person look like?"

"Do you not like plants?"

"Oh, I like plants fine. They don't like me is all. If I get a plant, it dies on me. So I quit getting them. See? I like plants. I am saving them from myself."

As he and Alice talked more, he had to admit he'd pegged her wrong. She was… not at all like Jack. She was open, honest. She wasn't trying to get on Kathy's good side; Alice had a work ethic.

They talked the whole way there. Besides not being a plant person, he learned Alice wasn't a kitchen person, either. He told her how he'd come to America as part a band looking for their big break and that he quit the band but not the country.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Alice, but I do really well with American girls."

"Oh, I've noticed," she assured him.

* * *

The trade show was boring, but after that, he enjoyed taking Alice to one of his favorite shops. He asked if she was a picky eater.

"No, I'll pretty much eat anything," she said, eyeing the shelves of foreign foods. She looked back to him. "I just don't want to make it."

When they made it back to his place, he offered to feed her.

"Thanks, but I can't," she said sincerely. "This is supposed to be my off day, too! But I'll hold you to it. You owe me special foodstuffs. And I'll want to be dazzled, understand?"

He smiled. "Understood."

After Alice was gone, Hatter had his Saturday back. Only now, he didn't know what to do with it. He just wanted Alice to keep talking.

* * *

CHAPTER 4

_"Have idea for cash flow. Assume you are not above flirting with customers. If game, wear ensemble deemed too sexy for trade show."_

He wondered exactly what Alice had in mind. As he got ready for work, he thought about her talk about branding and "the Hatter of Wonderland and all that."

Maybe he could adopt a Work Persona. In the band, he'd always applied eyeliner before gigs. It was part of their look. Surely he still had some of the stuff somewhere.

* * *

She liked the eyeliner.

It pleased him more than it should to meet with her approval. He was also delighted to see her wearing a blue dress.

And he really appreciated her effort with the tip jar. He never would have suggested that to Kathy. (Hatter preferred to fly under the boss' radar.)

His favorite part of the night came to be when Alice would come get her drink.

He might spend twenty minutes deciding what he'd say to her. Sometimes he'd change his mind on the fly.

"I like the way your hair frames your face."

"I bet that dress is amazing for dancing."

"Now, this drink will put even more sparkle in your eyes."

"Alice, there you are. And here I thought this night would be a total loss."

And then Charlie called him on it.

It was easy to flirt with Alice outrageously. She never responded to any of it. She did always smile.

He felt like they were a team. And yeah, maybe he was open to the notion of more than that.

Buf if Charlie picked up on it, perhaps he should tone it down.

* * *

CHAPTER 5

"You're late–" Alice stopped short and tilted her head. "Hatter?"

She didn't know. Why hadn't somebody told her? She looked so disappointed.

He apologized for being Jack's replacement.

"I assumed they would've told you."

Alice left him by the door to go retrieve her phone.

"Look," Hatter said. "If you don't want to go to this thing–"

Alice shook her head. "No, it's fine. They're expecting a representative. I have to go."

He hated to be the one ruining her evening. She was all dressed up; it had probably taken a long time to get ready.

"You look nice," he offered.

"Thanks," she replied, looking him over. "So do you."

Alice never really looked at him. She looked in his direction or somewhat past him or only settled her gaze on him for a moment.

But Alice was _looking_.

When she spoke, her voice wasn't paced right and he knew she was trying to mask her disappointment.

"If my mom was here, she'd say something like 'that's a smart suit.'"

He tipped his hat to her. "Ready then?"

She paused and then stepped toward him quickly. Why was she taking his handkerchief?

"Give me ten minutes," she promised.

* * *

He heard Alice's heels as she started down the hall. He hit send on the text he'd been composing and glanced up.

Hatter blinked. His mouth might have fallen open.

Alice was… she was… Hot. _Smoking._ She looked… dangerous. She was in a different dress, but what he mostly noticed was her face. Her eyes were darker; they glittered.

She looked like she could eat him alive and he'd enjoy it.

_But a moment ago, you were just..._

"How did you do that?" he managed to ask.

She came to a stop in front of him. "Branding."

She tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket, then stood next to him. They were facing a mirror.

"How do we look?" she asked.

"We?" He glanced at her, then back to their image, taking a moment to consider.

_We match._

"We look good together."

* * *

CHAPTER 6

Since he wasn't really her date, Hatter decided to give Alice space at the art opening. Until two girls from the bar wouldn't leave him alone.

The chance to dance with Alice was unexpected but welcome. He enjoyed teasing her by referring to her as his boss.

But it blindsided him to be asked about his family. All of his friends already knew. It didn't come up with strangers. Alice was… a new friend. He did not make many of those.

"They... aren't in the picture anymore."

He didn't mean to make her feel bad, but his tone was off and she apologized.

"I... sort of know what that's like. My dad left when I was ten."

"Where to?" he asked.

"I don't know. Canada?" She shrugged. "We haven't heard from him since. I think he forgot about us."

That would be awful. Not knowing. "I'm sorry to hear that."

And then she looked at him again. Her eyes started to shimmer and she placed her head against his arm.

He didn't say anything. The moment had changed so completely, but in a way he was glad for it. To see Alice with her walls down.

But she felt safer with them up, so when the song ended, he pretended nothing had happened.

"Do you suppose we've performed our duties in full yet?"

* * *

"Really, I can take a cab by myself," Alice argued.

"No, no, no. March said I was your escort this evening, and I'd rather not deal with him if I don't absolutely have to. I am seeing you home."

The cab they hailed was driven by an older gentleman who kept his political radio station so loud, Hatter and Alice couldn't have conversed if they wanted to.

When the cabbie would get excited over a particularly charged bit of commentary and hit the steering wheel, Alice would cut her eyes at Hatter, like "do you believe this guy?"

They were eager to make a break from the dodo.

Alice thanked Hatter for the evening.

"If you'd told me that first day we met that we'd be spending an evening dancing in two months time, I wouldn't have believed you."

"No?"

She glanced back at him. "You didn't seem very friendly at first."

_Oh, right._

"Ah. Sorry about that. I didn't think I'd have to deal with you long. Wasn't worried about lasting impressions."

Alice faced him in front of her door. "Oh?"

He spoke quickly. He didn't apologize to people often. "Yeah, I thought you would be in and out of Wonderland quick-like. Thought the job was just a lark to you." He took off his hat and fiddled with the brim.

"No, I-"

"Yeah, my mistake. I had the wrong opinion formed. You're more — and don't take this the wrong way — working class."

She laughed and he was glad his phrasing hadn't offended her.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

She unlocked the door but didn't step inside yet.

"Now that you've had a chance to get to know me better, what's the current opinion?"

_That you are so much more than I gave you credit for. That I would very much like to have you for myself._

"That Jack's a lucky guy." He flipped the hat back up on his head. "See you tomorrow, Alice."

He started down the stairs before the door was even closed, frustrated with himself.

Damn it all to hell, he had gone and fallen for her.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 7**

How had Alice talked him into this? Thanksgiving dinner with her mum? Oh, right. Because he couldn't say no to Alice.

"You must be David!"

_You must be the mother. Carol._

He saw past her to Alice setting the table.

"It's so nice to meet you," Carol said. "Alice talks about you often."

_Does she? In what context?_

He gave Carol the dish he'd made and a bottle of red wine and was told to make himself at home.

Alice came over and looked pointedly at his head. She dropped her voice. "'I don't always wear a hat, you know,'" she said playfully.

"Is that supposed to be me?"

She gave him a coy smile and shrugged.

"Sod off." He took off his hat.

She guided him to the living room and introduced him to two of her family members. "This is my Gramma, and this is my Aunt Diane."

He nodded a hello, and Alice's aunt gave him a "pleased to meet you."

Alice's grandmother mistook him for Jack.

"No, Gramma, this isn't Jack. This is… David. We work together."

He'd never heard her say David. It made his ears warm.

"At that bar?" the aunt asked.

"Yeah," Alice answered for him. "He's our bartender."

He and Alice took a seat on the couch. He liked that she sat with him. Her aunt asked if he enjoyed his job at Wonderland.

_Pouring alcohol for strangers — sure. Working for the Hearts? NO._

"Moderately." His response earned him one of Alice's elbows in his side.

"Don't mind him, Aunt Di. He's surly with new people."

_She'd never let him live that down, would she?_

Alice's mum offered him a glass of wine and complimented the dish he brought. After the wine, his nerves settled and he decided to just enjoy an evening of Alice's company with no work obligations and more importantly, no Jack.

Alice was more relaxed at home. Not that she was always tense at work… More like always on task.

Her family obviously meant a lot to her. Though she was visibly mortified that her grandmother kept mistaking him for the boyfriend. Hatter thought it was ten times more fun to not correct the woman.

"Gramma's not... No matter how many times we tell her, she's still going to think you're my boyfriend. Is that okay?"

_More than okay._

Being the not-boyfriend meant he got to sit next to Alice and hear a few stories of her as a girl.

"So no to plants, but yes to cats," he noted to her. She kicked him lightly under the table.

* * *

After dinner, Hatter offered to help Carol clean up. Alice was deep in conversation with her cousin, and he didn't want to have to make small talk with the aunts or grandmother. Drying dishes with Alice's mother was a soothing alternative.

If Carol wasn't showing him where something went, she asked him questions, like when had he learned to cook?

"Ah, when I was a teenager." He could let it go at that, but he liked Alice's mother. He decided to elaborate and braced himself for the pity that always followed.

"That's when mum passed. So..."

Carol was putting a large pan into the sink and she halted, resting it against the counter.

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that."

She didn't linger on the moment, and for that he was grateful. She put the pan under the running water and said "I tried to teach Alice when she was about 12. A few years after her father left. I had to take second shift, and I wanted her to be able make herself a real dinner."

Carol handed him the pan.

"She didn't want to learn, though. I thought it was a pre-teen battle of wills, but now I wonder if it was just another way she didn't want to accept what had happened. And if Alice doesn't like doing something–"

"She doesn't do it," he finished for her.

Carol smiled at him appraisingly. "I see you know Alice."

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

His friends made it before final call. After a round of good to see you, Ben wanted to know immediately: "Where's the girl?"

"What girl?" Hatter asked.

"The one you went to her place for Thanksgiving," Ben answered.

"Ah, Alice."

"He thinks you have a girlfriend and haven't told us," Matt explained.

"It's not like that," Hatter told them. "We're just friends."

"Because you've had so many of those. Female just friends over the years," Ben pointed out.

"Perhaps I have turned over a new leaf."

"We'll see. Is she here?"

Hatter sighed. Then he pointed across the bar. Ben and Matt swiveled to stare. Alice looked up and waved.

"Pretty," Matt commented.

"New leaf indeed," Ben said.

* * *

He thought they'd make it out of the bar without having to introduce them to her. To no avail.

"Ah, so this is your Alice!"

Ben, _no._

But Alice took it in stride.

"You must be his friends. I was starting to think he didn't have any!"

He objected to that. As if Alice ever went anywhere but work, either.

His blood pressure spiked when Ben invited Alice to come with them. He'd never make it through an entire evening of monitoring his friend's big mouth.

But Matt helped him usher Ben out the door before too much damage could be done. Of course, it meant not saying goodbye to Alice before his trip.

He told his friends to head on to the subway entrance and that he'd catch up.

He stepped back inside. "Hey, Alice!" She turned.

"Have a nice Christmas," he said.

"Yeah, you, too! And a safe flight." She closed her eyes for a second and amended. "Flights."

He thanked her for the fingerless gloves and her whole face lit up.

"I knew it! I knew you couldn't wait!"

She looked so… happy.

If he wasn't going to see her for two weeks, that face was a good one to end on.

* * *

Three drinks in and he was telling them far more than he'd meant to. About Alice.

"I think I am in love with her."

"Really? That _is_ interesting," Ben said.

And he tried to tell them about figuring it out, but he wasn't good at explaining things like this.

"I'm sorry," Ben said. "Try again. You were saying your heart is like a… hankie?"

"Yes!" He answered. "I mean _no_. Not exactly."

"Yes, it's all very clear," Matt said.

Hatter took a breath and started over.

"I got to her place, and I'm dressed like me, right? I have this purple handkerchief–"

"Sounds very manly," Ben noted.

"Sod off. It was cool looking," he countered. "She was dressed in this cream-colored thing, hair up all ballerina-style." He did a twisting motion near his head. "And she took my handkerchief and went off, and when she came back, she's in a totally different dress. Her makeup was different, her hair was different… she said it was 'branding' but what it was was she changed so we'd match. And then my 'kerchief didn't look like mine anymore. It looked like I was the one that matched her."

"Ah. I see. Well, I see what you mean about the outfits, but not the other thing."

"It's like she's done the same thing to my heart. Plucked it out of my chest and then gave it back, yeah, but like it's not _mine_ anymore."

"Oh," Ben sat back and then forward again, for emphasis. "You _are_ in love, aren't you?"

"I am a bit miserable is what I am. Because she's with Jack. And I think she should be with me."

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

Hatter had sixteen days to think about how he could get Alice alone. How do you orchestrate moments with the girl you like when she has a boyfriend and the only time you see her is at work?

Being in England for Christmas got him thinking about his childhood and he remembered something his mother did every year. That was it; he knew just the thing.

* * *

On New Year's Eve, Alice had on a sparkly dark dress. His chest constricted as soon as he saw her. She was wearing her hair like she did the night they went to the art opening.

She was going over a guest list with Duchess when he came up and told her he needed to steal her away for a bit.

"How long will it take?" she asked, apprehensive.

"Five minutes. Ten at the absolute _most_."

She nodded. "All right. Come find me later."

He waited until it was nearly midnight.

He wouldn't tell her why she needed her coat or what was on the roof. He wanted to see how much she'd let him get away with. How much did she trust him?

"Hatter, it's freezing up here!" She pulled her coat tightly around her.

He pulled her out of the elevator by her sleeve. "We won't be long." He smiled at her. "You owe me a holiday indulgence after you made me eat that mushy piece of pumpkin-"

"It's _tradition_!"

"So's this. In my family anyway."

Alice fell silent. While he explained that his mum always got him sparklers for New Year's, he made a show of pulling them and a lighter out of his jacket.

"Ta-da."

When he looked to her face, he saw that he had her gaze.

"When's your birthday?" she asked.

"February 13. Have you not memorized all of your employees' data?"

"No." Her teeth began to chatter. "Should yours have a note about a tendency to play with fire?"

He laughed and lit the sparkler. But when he tried to hand it to her, Alice narrowed her eyes.

She wouldn't take it.

"I wouldn't let you do it if you wouldn't be okay," he promised. Only then would she accept it. But she still held it as far from her body as possible, stock still.

This was not going as planned.

"You're supposed to draw with it," he explained.

"What?"

He came to stand behind her and reached around to cover her right hand with his. When he moved her arm and sparks fell, she pulled her left arm back in alarm. He just laughed and covered that one, too. And she relaxed into him.

This was going _so much better_ than planned.

He drew her name, the year and a smiley face before it fizzled out.

"Do you have another one?" she asked, her voice lower than he'd ever heard it.

Yes. Talk to me like _that_.

"Alice!"

Fuck. Jack.

At least Alice seemed disappointed to be leaving with her boyfriend.

* * *

Later that night, he wondered if she was having a good time at Jack's party.

That was the problem. He was always thinking of her. He sent her a text.

" _Happy New Year, Alice."_

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

He barely saw Alice at all in January. He started coming in before his shift even began in the hopes of catching her and Charlie still at work. If she was, he'd bring her a cup of coffee (for the excuse to come over and chat a minute) or change the radio to the station she liked (for the way she'd look up and find him to smile).

But at the beginning of February, Kathy called and told him not to come in one night.

"I need you there on Saturday for a workshop. Some new craft beer we'll be carrying. So take tonight off," his boss instructed. After what seemed like a deliberate pause, she added that Alice wouldn't be at work that night, either. "She has strep, and we certainly don't want that spreading around. She'll be at home alone tonight."

_Right, because Jack's in Vegas, checking on the casino._

After he got off the phone with Kathy, he remembered Alice saying her mom was visiting one of her sisters.

_So she really is alone._

Hatter didn't like the idea of Alice spending the night all alone if she was sick. But if he texted her and asked if she needed anything, he knew she would say no.

Of course… who turns down soup when they're sick? He went to peruse his freezer.

* * *

In the several moments between him knocking on the door and Alice opening it, Hatter began to wonder if she would be angry with him showing up unannounced.

And then he laid eyes on her.

She was wearing a bathrobe, and her hair was pulled half-heartedly into a ponytail. She didn't have on any makeup, but despite the bluish circles under her eyes, she still looked happy to see him.

"Well, don't you look _ravishing._ "

Alice pursed her lips but gestured for him to come in. She went over to a desk and opened a drawer — ah, a notepad. It must hurt to talk. She wrote something and held it up for him.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"Kathy wants me to work some sort of odd shift this weekend, so she told me to take tonight off."

Another question.

"Why are you here?"

_Because I want to be where you are. Because…_

"I came by to make sure you were okay." He cleared his throat. "I know Jack's gone and you said your mom was out of town this week, yeah?"

She nodded and pointed at the bag he was carrying.

"Ah. Soup." He walked past her to the kitchen and started placing things on the counter. He didn't think Carol would mind; he had sweat equity.

She came over to stand next to him and bumped her shoulder into his. He busied his hands to keep from putting an arm around her.

"If you don't feel like eating, I get it. But I thought-"

Alice popped a lid off one of the containers and sniffed. She looked up at him with those big blue eyes.

"Yeah, I made it. Not fresh, though. You have to boil a chicken for the stock and that takes time. This was frozen, so we need to heat it up."

She opened a cabinet door to reveal pots and pans and then wrote a note. She slid it over to him hesitantly.

" _I might be contagious."_

He looked at her. She was giving him a reason not to stay. As if he'd leave without her telling him to.

"Then I won't kiss you."

_Did I really just say that?_

"Or use your toothbrush."

* * *

Hatter could tell that it boosted her morale to have company. And also that it drove her crazy to not be able to talk. He saw many eye-rolls and hand gestures while they watched television.

He held up her notepad a few times, but she waved it off. As if the things she wanted to say were too fleeting to bother with writing down.

On their third episode of a cop show that had an insufferable protagonist, Hatter began to point out the most asinine aspects of each scene. If he managed to say what Alice was thinking, she would reach over and squeeze his shoulder. He found a lot of things to say.

But then they swapped to a drug show, and they both became so engrossed in the story that he quit with the commentary. At one point, he did want to say something to her and he realized she had fallen asleep.

As it got later and Alice didn't stir, he thought she probably shouldn't turn in for the night curled up on the couch.

"Hey, Alice," he said quietly, nudging her arm. "Is there some sort of medicine you're supposed to take before you go to sleep?"

She sat up and looked over at the wall clock. She nodded and got up.

He heard the water run as she brushed her teeth. Unless she wanted him to leave, he was going to stay on her couch the whole night.

He got distracted clicking through to see which British TV shows he could catch up on. Then Alice was behind him, holding the notepad over his shoulder. She'd written " _Junkie."_

He laughed but didn't look back at her. "If I kept the volume low, would you mind-"

And then Alice was in his ear, and his eyes closed on their own when he felt her breath.

"Stay as long as you like."

_Forever. Though that's probably asking a bit much. We'll start with the night._

* * *

When Hatter woke up the next morning, he could hear that Alice was taking a shower. If he was still there when she came out, he was 100% certain he would say something he'd regret.

So he used her notepad to leave a sorry-I-crashed-here-without-asking message and slipped out. He'd see her later at work anyway.

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**

But at work, she avoided him. Pleasantly. She was pleasantly and consistently not talking to him, not stopping by the bar and barely looking at him. If he sent her a text, she would answer it… eventually. And briefly.

So instead, he texted Ben and Matt and told them he had managed to fuck things up. They could advise him when they arrived for his birthday.

* * *

When Charlie stopped by the bar, Hatter told him Alice must have figured out that he had a thing for her.

"And?" Charlie asked.

"And so now she avoids me."

"Oh. I thought… I guess I thought wrong." Charlie gave him a kind smile. "She lights up when you're around. I assumed."

He fiddled with his hat. "Yeah, I sort of hoped myself."

"Sometimes people miss what's under their very nose," Charlie offered.

"If she wasn't so fixated on Jack..."

Charlie said "speak of the devil" and Hatter turned to see Jack on his way to the bar.

"Better go see what his highness wants."

* * *

He was on his third shot when Alice arrived at Wonderland. She waved at him from across the room. He nodded at her.

She had on the blue dress. Because the first time he'd seen her in it was after he asked if she was going to start wearing blue dresses to work, every time she wore it felt like a secret joke between the two of them.

But she'd also said it was her favorite dress. "It has pockets!" had been her reasoning when he asked why.

The blue dress wasn't for him.

Alice wasn't for him.

Alice was holding a rose and following Jack up the stairs.

Hatter didn't even consider pouring a fourth shot. He just took the whole bottle and went somewhere he couldn't see them.

* * *

The clockwork wasn't ticking properly.

"This way. Right you go." What was Charlie talking about?

Alice. Alice was going to marry Jack.

Lights. The lights were moving. The whole… room? Was moving. Until there were stairs. And then it was soft.

Nope, the room was still moving, even though it was soft. Open your eyes, it's better if you keep your eyes open.

Alice.

Alice was there. Well, probably not. Where was there?

He put his hand out to see if she was real. Could be. Didn't matter. "Please don't leave," he asked her.

"You _are_ going to vomit, aren't you? And you don't want to clean it up by yourself."

Alice. Always saying something he didn't expect. Alice. He didn't expect her.

"I love you," he laughed.

And then, spinning or not, the soft room-thing won.

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**

It was dark the first time Hatter woke up. He was home. How did he get home? Charlie? Charlie might have taken him home.

His head throbbed when he moved. There was aspirin and a glass of water by his bed. He forced himself to take both and went back to sleep.

The next time he woke, it was daylight. He stumbled on his way to the bathroom. Still somewhat drunk.

On his way out, his bare foot connected with something sharp and it slid across the floor.

"What the fuck?"

He looked down. Boots. _Alice's_ boots. He blinked. Why were… That would mean...

"Alice?"

She mumbled from the sofa. "You're noisy first thing in the morning."

He moved slowly, and came to sit across from her on the coffee table. "Why are you on my couch?"

She sat up. "You asked me to stay."

He sat a little straighter. "Did I?"

"Yeah. You never struck me as the can't hold his liquor type." She stretched her arms over her head and he looked to the window to avoid watching her too closely. "Do you always drink so much for your birthday?"

_Right. His perfectly plausible Alice._

"No. Ah, got some bad news yesterday. Did I... say anything else? Last night?"

"Like what?"

_Confess my undying love or anything of the sort?_

He shrugged. "Nothin.'"

"What was the bad news?" Alice asked. She closed her eyes swiftly. "Sorry, nevermind, that was too personal. I shouldn't have asked."

"'S alright." He looked at her hands. No ring. "Might not've... actually happened yet."

Alice nodded and they sat in a moment of awkward silence. She looked away.

He cleared his throat. "Your, um, dress is all wrinkled."

She ran her hands over her lap. "Yeah, I, uh, didn't plan on a sleepover."

"I could... I have an iron."

_God, what a twattish thing to say._

She asked if he had any coffee, and he was relieved to have a task to focus on. Alice had spent the night. He wasn't firing on all cylinders.

He was watching the coffee brew when he heard Alice enter the kitchen. He turned toward her.

_Holy fuck, she is wearing my shirt._

His mouth fell open and he covered it with a cough. That must have been in the bathroom hamper.

"I could have gotten you a clean one."

She shrugged. "Didn't figure I'd be in it long."

He was hallucinating, right?

"How about I make some toast?" Alice asked brightly.

"I thought you didn't cook?"

"Doesn't seem fair to have you make breakfast when you're the one with the hangover. I can make toast. Sit down." She shooed him out of the kitchen.

He had a moment to sit at his table, drinking his coffee and contemplating.

No ring. Was she just not engaged _yet_? Had she said _no_? Should he ask her about it?

She walked out of the kitchen and set a plate of toast on the table.

"Happy birthday, Hatter."

Oh. That was… Wow.

"Thank you," he managed to say.

"Don't expect me to sing," she joked. Her phone buzzed with a call, which she sat down with him to take.

_Alice is not your girlfriend,_ he reminded himself.

He drank his coffee and watched Alice talk to her mother. She pulled one knee up to her chest.

"Yeah, I'm still at Hatter's. He's... hungover. I know!"

_Alice is still with Jack._

"Mom says to wish you a happy birthday."

_She stayed out of a sense of duty._

"He did? Are you crazy? No, if Jack calls again, DO NOT tell him I'm here. He-"

_This doesn't change anything. To think it did would be–_

"He proposed."

Hatter froze.

"No, mom. Congratulations are not in order. I... broke up with him. I was actually on the breaking up part when he did the proposal. Yeah. Yeah, he did. Y'know, I already feel like crap about it, so maybe you could? Thanks."

_She's… not with Jack._

"Hey, you're getting some color back in your face!"

_Could she possibly…_

He didn't hear the rest of what Alice said to her mother. His brain lodged at the part where she'd broken up with Jack instead of agreeing to marry him. What did that mean? Did she just not want to get married?

Or did she not want _Jack_?

Alice set down her phone.

He couldn't wait; he had to know. "So you're… You're single then?"

When she choked on her coffee, he knew he'd moved too quickly.

He didn't have time to say anything else before the door to his apartment was banging open.

"Ho! Where's the birthday boy? Is he up? Hope you aren't trying to have a lie in-" Ben's booming voice cut off abruptly when he saw them.

" _Alice._ Good to see you." Ben gave her a huge grin and then turned to Hatter. "Happy birthday indeed, mate! It was about time you-"

Shit, _no_.

"Alice," he said too fast and too loud "was kind enough to bring me home last night when I had too much to drink."

Ben crossed his arms. "Is she wearing your shirt?"

"Ah, yes, I told her I'd iron her dress before she wore it home," Hatter stood. "Which I'm guessing will be shortly now."

He needed a moment to think. He grabbed her dress off the couch and headed to his room.

* * *

He heard her come after him, but he didn't turn around.

"You don't want me to stay?" she ventured.

_God,_ _ **of course**_ _I want you to stay._

"Hell, no!" he said lightly.

_No, you can't say that._ His shoulders fell. He might as well be honest with her. No doubt she already knew how he felt anyway.

"I... started drinking because I thought you were engaged to Jack."

"What?"

Hatter turned around.

"He came by the bar for a bottle of champagne yesterday, said he was plannin' on asking you something. Then you showed up in your favorite dress, and the two of you went off..." He waved his hand. "And I was just trying _not_ to think about it. Alcohol seemed like a quick fix."

Alice bit her lip. "I didn't know Jack was going to propose. I was... waiting to break up with him in person, because I've known for awhile that I want something else."

If there was any way she could mean…

"The blue dress is my favorite, though. This guy once told me it brings out my eyes."

She took a step closer and the look she gave him nearly stopped his heart. "I wore it for his birthday."

He blinked. She what now?

"You-" he glanced back at the dress. "That's for-"

His heart started to hammer.

"Yep," she replied, popping the P on the end. She tugged on the hem of the shirt she'd borrowed. "And I didn't want a clean one because then it wouldn't _smell_ like y-"

And he just stopped thinking. He moved forward and took her in his arms.

She held on to him and the sensation made him dizzy.

He set her down and looked at her. Alice. _His_ Alice. He couldn't stop smiling.

"Finally."

He didn't wait another moment.

He kissed her.

**Author's Note:**

> This story never would have seen the light of day if Lady Doppelganger hadn't agreed to beta-read it. (And then Real Life stole her away, so only the first few chapters got the benefit of her input.)


End file.
